1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to imaging. More particularly, the present invention relates to augmenting an image of a scene with information about the scene.
2. Background Information
In the past, workers in the field, hikers and others have had to navigate unfamiliar terrain using a map. Faced with a map and a view of the terrain in the field, the user tries to understand the environment with the map as his model, gradually developing a cognitive transformation with elements of three-dimensional rotation, perspective scale foreshortening, and hidden surface construction. Under the best viewing conditions, users differ sharply in their ability to interpret maps and orient them to their environment. As conditions degrade, even the most experienced users find it difficult to determine their position or find a path.
Most users find that they can reduce some of the cognitive burden of orientation by aligning the map with their direction of view, perhaps in association with a compass. A paper map can be rotated by hand, and a computer-generated display can be rotated with a simple coordinate transformation. The latter may be of further help if it can model the landform in perspective from an arbitrary position. Still, users are left with two independent views: that of the symbolic map and the raw visual scene. This problem is magnified when the image of the scene is being viewed remotely.
Thus, a need exists for a way to present a remote user with a single view, incorporating both the visual scene, and the information typically provided by a map, as well as other information.